Moisture-proof twin socket.



R. B. BENJAMIN. MOISTURE PROOF TWIN SOCKET, APPLICATION FILED SEPT.14;1912.

Patented July 7, 1914 Z SHEETS-SHEET 1.

R. B. BENJAMIN. MOISTURE PROOF TWIN SOCKET. APPLICATION FILED SEPT.14,1912.

Paflented July 7, 191%.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

m a W REUBEN B. BENJAMIN, OF CHIGAGQ, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T0 BENJAMIN ELEGTREG MFG. COMPANY, OF OHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

MOIST'URE-PBOGF Ti/VIN SOCKET.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented uly *3, 1914i.

Application filed. September 14, 1912. Serial No. 720,395.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Rnunnn B. BENJAMIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Moisture-Froof Twin Sockincandescentelectric lamps; 6., sockets of the kind which support two lamps in axial alinement pointing in opposite directions.

In some instances, as, for instance, for use in connection with bath cabinets and the like, it is desirable to protect the socket to the greatest possible extent against the effects of moisture and moist gases; and it is the principal object of my invention to provide a twin socket which will be moisture proof to a high degree.

It is a further object of my invention to provide atwin socket of a sirn' lo and economical construction, which wil be durable even though used in moist places, and which may be rcadily'rernoved and taken apart.

With these and other objects in View, .l".

have constructed a twin socket, described tion of the arrows; Fig. 4- is a section on the line 4l of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows; and Fig. 5 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, but looking in the direction opposite to that indicated by the arrows,

Like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the following specification and the several figures of the drawings.

Referring now particularly to Fig. 1, 10 indicates an open ended tubular metallic casing of such a length as conveniently to receive the bases of two-lamps, and provided with the ordinary beads 11, one at each end. A shouldered bushing 12 passes through the casing 10 at the center thereof, and is flanged over, at 13, within the casing, a substantially rectangular washer 14. being clamped between the flange of the bushing and the interior surface of the casing. The bushing 12 is formed with interior screw threads, and is provided with the ordinary cap screw 15, and serves to connect the casing with a conduit in the ordinary manner. Mounted within the casing 10 and secured against withdrawal therefrom by their engagement with the ends of the washer 14., is a pair of lamp receptacles, each of which includes a cup-shaped insulating member of suiiicient capacity entirely to contain both contacts of each receptacle. One of these cup-sltrapedjnsulating members, that shown at the right hand side of Fig. l, is desig nated 16 in the drawings. The rear wall 17 of the insulating member 16 is formed with a recess in which lies a binding terminal 18 (Fig. 3) which is entered by the end of a screw 19, which passes through the wall 17 and also through a bridge plate 20 upor front side of the wall 17. i liencath this bridge plate clamped a flange for 1 at the inner end of? a threaded lamp-recon ing shell contained in the n niber ii). The flange 21 is cut away so as to accoinino date a boss-23 formed upon the front side the wall 17' and serving to provide a so back for the center contact of ceptacle. The end of the screw 19 is pr erably soldered, as shown at 24c ig. 3}, so as to provir e a good moisture proof elcctri cal connection between the shell and the binding terminal 18. The rear side of end wall 17 of the member 16 is formed w a second recess in which lies a binding;

Ininal 25, secured in place by means o screw 26 passing through the same through the wall 17 from; front to r n thereof. The front of the wall 17 is fern" with a recess 27 for accommodating head of the screw 26. A pair of metall strips, 28 and 29 respectively, are clam between the binding terminal 20 and a n 30 upon the end of the screw 26, a solid conv neotion being made between the nut and the end of the screw in order toinsure a moisture proof electrical connection between the strips 28 and 29 and the binding terminal 25. The strip 28 passes throng a first slot 31 formed between the front and rear sides of the walll'f, and is bent up, within chi the memberv 16, to form a center contact 32 cooperating with the threaded shell 22, the shell 22 being cut away, as at 33, to obviate any chance of a short circuit owin to the center contact and shell contact making connections with each other. a

' The wall 17 has two holes 3 1 formed th era.

" through which aline with similar holes in the flange 21 of the shell contact- 22, corresponding holes being also formed in the bridge pi sulating member 16 is a duplicate of the member 16, and has a rear-wall l7- -and' base 23 similar to the rear wall 17 and base 23 of the member 16. Located within the member 16 is a shell contact 22 similar to the-contact 22, this contact being held in position by 'means of screws 35 passing through its flange 21 and through the holes 3 1, and entering the ends of the bridge plate 20. By this means, not only is the shell contact 22" retained in osition, but the two receptacles are clamped together'back and back. In. order to. separate the members 16 and 16 of the two receptacles. somewhat,

. these members are formed with recesses 36 and 36 the ends of which engage against the ends of the washer 14. When, therefore, the screws 35 are in position, the two lamp receptacles are secured together, back to back, with a small space between them; and the engagement of the ends of the recesses 36 and 36* with cthe ends oi? the washer 14L prevents the lamp receptacles from being withdrawn from theca'sing 10. The center contact 32, cooperating with the shell, contact 22 is formed by the upturned end of the strip 29 which passes through. a slot 31 similar to the slot '81. The shell contacts 22 lead conductors entering through the bushing 12 to be broughtto the terminals 18 and 25. It will be seen that the conducting parts of the socket are all insulated from each other and from the casing by solid porcelain or similar material, no fiber or other mateate 20. The second cup-shaped in rial which would be deteriorated by moisture being employed. The socket is thus rendered capable of use under conditions where moisture is present in large quantities; and it is not liable to become deteriorated by reason of its use under such conditions. The socket may be easily assembled. and taken apart, all that is necessary to take the socket apart being to withdraw the screws 35 and to bend down the center contact 32, whereupon the lamp receptacles may be pulled out endwise from the casing 10, thecenter contact 32 passing through the passa e 31 The conto insulate the same from said casing.

ing having a projection therein, of a pair of lamp receptacles mounted therein, each of said lamp receptacles including a cup-shaped member formed of Vitreous material and a threaded contact and a center contact contained therein, and means for securing said receptacles back to back so as to clamp said projection between them, thereby to retain said receptacles in said casing.

combination with a tubular open-ended casingy ol a pair of cup-shaped insulating members mounted therein, each of said members having a passage formed through the rear wall thereof, a pair of center contacts and entering said members, a threaded lampreceiving contact carried by each of said members, and meansfor making electrical connection between said last named contacts.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my'name in the presence of two witnesses.

- REUBEN B. BENJAMIN. Witnesses:

M. l'tnynonne,

Bonnier Lewis Arms.

struction is simple, and t e device can be 2. In a moisture proof twin socket, the combination with atubular open-ended cas- 8. In a moisture proof twin socket, the

and surrounding said threaded contact so as secured to the rear side of the rear wall of one of said members, one of said center contacts passing through each of said passages 

